TRABZON, Turkey (A.W.)–The European Youth Olympics Festival opened in Trabzon, Turkey on July 24, with 3,000 athletes joining from all over Europe, including Armenia. Some 49 countries are represented at the event, but not all received the same welcome.
At the wake of the deadly events in Norway, the crowd held a moment of silence in memory of the victims of the terrorist attack of June 22. However, what one Turkish journalist noted was the hatred in the air towards the Armenian and Israeli athletes.
“Yes, there was a moment of silence for those murdered in Norway and all other victims of terrorism,” wrote Murat Yetkin, a Hurriyet columnist, “but the young athletes from Armenia and Israel were booed by local spectators because of the political and cultural atmosphere.”
“Yet, due to the decades-long cultural pollution as a result of indoctrination going back to the years of the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, the traces of the atmosphere of hatred is still around,” he added.
Turkey’s prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, was among the 30,000 spectators.
when the Turkish soccer team played in Yerevan, there were NO incidents of hate towards either Turk players or Turk fans. There were some protest placards against Gul.
But the Turk players and fans were received with respect – befitting a cultured and civilized people that Armenians are.
fact is, despite large numbers of righteous Turks, their society is saturated with hatred towards non-Turks, particularly Armenians. The Nomadic instinct to hate and exterminate has been safely preserved in their core, despite centuries of forcible theft of refined genes, which has obviously altered their appearance.
Turks and their Turkophile agents that regularly bloviate about quote ‘Armenian hate’: see if you can explain away spewing hatred at young athletes who are not involved in politics.
Turk fans and players received with respect in Yerevan, despite obvious historical background of what Turks’ ancestors had done to the ancestors of Yerevan’s residents:
Armenian young athletes received with hate and booed – even though Armenians had done absolutely nothing to Turks to ‘deserve’ such a reception.
Put the two incidents side-by-side and decide which people are more civilized.
All the shiny new buildings in downtown Constantinople (aka Istanbul) cannot hide the Nomadic mores of its inhabitants. “Can’t put lipstick on a pig” as we say here in the US.
Exactly, Avery. I wonder what our Turkophile ‘friend’ Karekin-efendi would say about this explicit demonstration of Turkish hatred towards Armenians that’s happening in the present, not in the past.
….hey guys, just remembered something: didn’t one of the Turk agents that regularly posts praise for Turkey on these pages exhort Armenians to visit Turkey in another thread, and improbably claimed that Armenians would be, quote, ‘warmly’ received by their Turk hosts ?
I guess in the Turkish worldview, if you are not gang-raped, murdered, massacred, burned-alive, “you know”, you are merely booed (….no big deal) – then it’s considered ‘being warmly received’.
OK, I got it.
Not long ago ,some little man by the name of,armen, called the ,Armenians, “Uneducated Morons.” It would be interesting to hear what this little shrimp has to say about the Turks’ behavior.
I am of Turkish origin and read the article and do feel hurt myself. As you have said before athletes have nothing to do with politics and sports and politics should be absolutely separated !
It is horrible and I do feel ashamed for the behavior of the people in the stands. Only thing to do is keep up the dialogue and let these incidents not take away our hope for a common future.
Thank you
Guys, let’s not overreact. Trabzon is a poorly educated and impoverished region of Turkey and Hrant Dink’s murderer came from there. It is unsurprising that sport would bring out terrible nationalism in people in such areas. Our athletes were booed, big deal.
The Armenian athletes have thick skin. Let’s just support them and the others and move on. No need to talk about nomads or gang-raping.
please do not excuse lack of education and poverty…muslims hate the sunday and saturday peoples
After the Munich massacre that occurred during the 1972 Summer Olympics, when members of the Israeli Olympic team were taken hostage and eventually killed by the Palestinian terrorist group Black September, a few boos from some stupid local spectators in Turkey is nothing.
“Extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice. Moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue.” Barry Goldwater.
I make no apologies for my extremism in defense my people – the noble, cultured, virtuous, productive, creative, peaceful Armenian people.
People who were exterminated for no other reason than they were Armenians.
Not only I make no apologies, but I hereby proudly and publicly re-affirm it.
If I was there at the time (1915), I would have been exterminated too.
I could be sitting in my house, minding my own business, having harmed no one in the world – and armed men would break into my living room, drag me out and cut me to pieces while I was alive. Why ? Because I was Armenian.
I never forget that. I will never let anyone forget that while I am alive.
Surprised the Greeks weren’t booed. We all on Turkish s…t list. Why? We won’t let them forget how barbaric their ancestors/grandfathers were to Christians.
They are afraid of the TRUTH! Also, they’ve been brainwashed about their past.
I am not surprised! I invite you look up the meaning of the “Turk” in English dictionary.
Turks care about the massacre of children in Norway? I don’t believe it. It was a PR stunt. A Moment of Silence? Don’t make me laugh.
Moreover, in Trabzon the Turks dumped Armenian children into the Black Sea during the Genocide. That is a fact. Turks don’t care about that either.
Reminds me of Turkish Childrens’ Day, which is April 23 or 24. That’s another PR stunt.
We’re supposed to believe that Turkey is oriented toward humane behavior? Oh please.
Here’s the article by Murat Yetkin if anyone’s interested.
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php?n=dink8217s-half-solved-murder-2011-07-25
Oguz, I welcome your comments. There are many Turkish-Armenian dialogs happening independent of political and governmental initiatives. These will continue and grow organically, which is probably the best way.
Avery, you just love to go into this dramatic rants. I find it hard to read your comments. I would also point out the level of nationalism is high in Turkey compared to other countries and these have led to serious and bloody problems with minorities, but do you have to make comments like “nomadic instinct”? You’re really going over the top and frankly obscures any legitimate comments you could be making.
As for the Turkish football players and fans in Armenia, it was part of the “football dimplomacy” initiative and everyone was on their best behavior. I don’t remember the Armenian national team being booed when in Turkey (I may be wrong though). If various Turkish football teams came to Armenia to play with Armenian teams for friendly matches (something I think should happen), I’m sure at least some booing would happen depending on the current sentiments. But maybe that’s because it’s football ;) But as for Armenian and Israeli athletes booed in Trabzon, that’s definitely not internationally accepted audience behavior, to put diplomatically.
As a Turkish person, I believe these booings went too far, and yes I am a Turkish nationalist. But what happens if there was an international soccer match in Glendale, Fresno, or Watertown and an international player comes from Turkey. I bet some 17 year old Rabiz Hard-ass pulling up in his Salvage Titled G35 would probably bring his “crew” and kill the international sports player from Turkey, if an event like this was held in Glendale, Fresno, Watertown, Pawtucket, Marsellies, Bourj Hammoud or Isfahan, the ethnic Turkish person would be savagely killed. I would bet x1,000,000 worse would happen to someone of Turkish origin visiting one of those cities.
As Random Armenian said, there was no ‘BOOing’ in the return match of that qualification either. Avery has no differences from those people who ‘BOOed’ in Trabzon. Just a brainless provacator, nothin’ more.
The continued harassment of Armenians in Turkey is very wrong. Such behavior only shows true nature of people in Turkey towards violence, racism and paranoia against minorities.
Sean Yilmaz: To ‘savagely kill’ doesn’t pertain to civilized Armenians. You were writing about Armenians but thinking about the Turks, weren’t you? Turks: internationally renowned savage killers, mass murderers, mutilators, torturers, rapists, looters, and stealers, as Armenians have seen firsthand in 1915-1923 in the Ottoman empire. I can’t predict what reaction Armenians, as victims of Turkish barbarity, would have in Glendale, Fresno, Watertown, Pawtucket, Marsellies, Bourj Hammoud or Isfahan. What I do know is when the Turkish football team played in Yerevan, they received no poor treatment from the spectators. And always remember: it was the Armenians that were exterminated by the Turks as a people, not the other way round.
Random: you find it hard to read my comments, then don’t. You see a post by me, then skip it and go to the next: fair enough ?
Nobody is forcing you to read my or anybody else’s posts. Your view of the purpose of these posts and exchanges on the web is different than mine.
I have my reasons for posting the way I do, and for using specific words and phrases. You post the way you like, I post the way I like. I don’t give you advice how or what to post. ArmenianWeekly owners, managers, and moderators decide what gets through.
When I read the pure hate-filled Anti-Armenian comments by rabidly nationalist Turks @TodaysZaman and @Hurriyet, I know I am on the right track.
When I read Turks advocating invasion of Armenia and Artsakh, wiping out Armenia, and other vile things that cannot be repeated here, I have no regrets for anything I have posted.
Deacon Frost: thanks for the kind words. Coming from a world renowned, highly educated scholar and scientist, with brains enough for both of us, is very humbling for me.
Sadly, Turk education system continues to teach Turk students Armenians are to be hated, accusing their victims of ALL crimes that Turks committed against Armenians (as if Armenians, instead, were guilty of the crimes of Genocide against Turkeys). Thus the Turk educational system teaches their students to hate Armenians, still today, who are victims of the Turkish Genocide!
Turkey/bullies, unable to admit to their crimes of Genocides… for as a Turkey lies to all the world – even more, Turks lie to themselves – having stolen the nation of Armenia in order to have a “ready-made” nation – in order to gain the ancient/advanced cultures/wealths of the Armenians – lying/claiming all that was Armenians as if all were of Turks… stolen as was via the Turkish Genocide – not by wars… slaughters, rapes, tortures and worse – eliminated the first Christian nation (301AD) via the Turkish Genocide of the Armenians –
and still, have stolen, continue their lies… and the bones that are whitened with time… are awating burials… still.
Random: —-You’re being unfair to Avery. His posts are targeted and in the most part substantiated. He’s after Turkish denialists or their henchmen more than anyone else on these pages. If you want to see really ‘dramatic rants’ and ‘over-the-top’ Armenophobic mantra, visit Turkish online publications. You may then appreciate how level-headed Avery’s comments are.
Didem, a well known Turkish Author, an Armenian Hater, and Genocide Denier, but not a devout Muslim, walks into an Istanbul bar and is about to order a drink when he sees a guy close by with an Armenian Cross tattooed on his bare arm..
He doesn’t have to be an Einstein to know that this guy is Armenian. So Didem shouts over to the bartender so everyone can hear, “Drinks for everyone in here, bartender, but not for that guy over there,” pointing to the Armenian guy.
Soon after the drinks have been handed out, Didem notices that the Armenian guy is smiling, and calls to Didem and says, “Thank you.”
This infuriates Didem and in a loud voice, he once again orders drinks for everyone except the Armenian guy.
But as before, this does not seem to worry the Armenian guy who continues to smile, and again says, “Thank you.”
So Didem says to the barman, “What’s the matter with that guy over there? I’ve ordered two rounds of drinks for everyone in the bar except that guy, and all he does is smile and thank me. Is something wrong with him or something?”
“Not at all,” replies the barman. “He’s the owner.”
“At the wake of the deadly events in Norway, the crowd held a moment of silence in memory of the victims of the terrorist attack of June 22.”
June 22nd is the anniversary of the Nazi invasion of Russia… The Turks contributed to this aggression by letting Nazi fleet into the Black Sea against all agreements. Armenians lost 300,000 soldiers in this war and won!
Such hypocrasy! You accuse the Turks of racism and hatred … Are you paying any attention to the words you are using in this comments page? How can you accuse someone of a crime while are you commiting it yourself? Of course, Turks will hate you. Are you surprised? You are doing everything you can to hurt their reputation, you lay claims to their territory, etc. etc. Why are you surprised when you see yourself hated by someone you treat like enemy? Don’t enemies hate each other? You hate us, we hate you, or vice versa. That is what enemies do. But what we do not have to do is to be hypocrates.
Akif,
Is your post a joke? Or maybe you are drunk. Your “great” ancestors have already done more than enough to hurt your reputation by committing the first genocide of modern times and you are doing a great job continuing their legacy of hurting your reputation by shamelessly denying the truth. We can’t possibly make it any worse. You want to save your reputation? Face the truth like a man.
And, excuse me, whose territory did you mean when you said “you lay claims on their territory.” What’s next? That all the stolen assets and wealth of the deported and murdered are also theirs? I mean, yours?
Young innocent atheletes are booed by your countrymen for being Armenian and you have the nerve to come and preach us on how to be civilized and friendly? What do you expect us to do? To love you in return? Sing your praises?
No Afik, it’s more like “You killed us and we don’t trust you because you have shown little remorse and made no reparations for what was stolen.”
That’s a normal human response, no? Your nation committed genocide against its own citizens and continues to deny it and suggests that the revolutionary aspirations of a few Armenians justified the slaughter of 1.5 million innocent and unarmed women and children. And today you and many Turks continue this attitude of disdain and hatred toward Armenians who seek justice.
Frank writes:
After the Munich massacre that occurred during the 1972 Summer Olympics, when members of the Israeli Olympic team were taken hostage and eventually killed by the Palestinian terrorist group Black September,
…a few boos from some stupid local spectators in Turkey is nothing.
We all know this booing is a seed of terrorist hatred that easily grows. If this booing is what they show you, there’s more goes on behind your back, this is what really needs to be known. Such distrust is protecting oneself.
The movie MUNICH gave a very good picture of the terrible event during the ’72 Olympics.
and walt kovacs writes:
please do not excuse lack of education and poverty…muslims hate the sunday and saturday peoples
…you gotta sell that more to Bibi Netanyahu and the Knesset in Israel and Abe Foxman in the US, if you can…
gentlemen, please don’t misunderstand or misinterpret my comments